doth limit and restrain the mercy of God to them to whom the Lord vouchsafeth mercy and therefore mercy is not a natural property in God Answ To this I answer First of all this Cavil is grounded upon a mistaking and misconstruction of the words of the Apostle For the Apostle doth not here intend and mean the natural property and essential attribute of mercy in God but he meaneth the act exercise and work of that property which is extended and reached out unto man and that is ever guided by the holy will of God Again it is false and utterly untrue that this heretick affirmeth that all the natural properties of God are ever in use to us for justice mercy goodnesse and power and the like be essential and natural in God and yet God doth extend and reach them out to whom he pleaseth according to his own purpose when he will and where he will and how it pleaseth him so that it is false and blasphemous to say that mercy is not natural and essential in God for the testimony of Scripture contradicteth it in Exod. 34.6 the Lord there proclaimeth himself in this manner The Lord the Lord strong merciful gratious and abundant in goodnesse and in truth yea this might be illustrated by many testimonies of Scripture but I forbear it in so pregnant and plain a truth And come we then to that which may be truly concluded from these words I will have mercy upon whom I will And compassion upon whom I will These words being understood as heretofore I have explained them That the act the exercise and the work of Gods mercy and pity and compassion it is ever by God extended to them to whom he pleaseth Hence then we are given to understand thus much Doct. That Gods mercy reached out unto his chosen it is most free and voluntary it dependeth upon nothing out of God but cometh onely and merely out of his own good will and pleasure That the Lord is merciful unto any or that he sheweth any fruit of his love or mercy to any one it is merely from his own good will and pleasure and not depending upon any thing out of his holy and blessed Majestie the Lord being the author of mercy pity and compassion he extendeth his mercy pity and compassion to those to whom he will Or more briefly thus The reason why the Lord doth extend and reach out mercy unto any is his mere will and nothing else And to clear this a little further mark what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1.3 the Apostle there calleth God Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies shewing that God is the Father and begetter of mercy and that mercy and love are as it were his children coming from him and in Joh. 1.15 saith the Evangelist of him we receive grace for grace one grace to another And Christ Jesus saith Luke 10.12 Father I confesse Lord of heaven and earth thou hast hid these things even the things of thy Gospel from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes even so because it pleased thee It was so of thy good will and pleasure nothing moving thee thereunto so that the reason why the Lord doth vouchsafe mercy unto any it is the free will and favour of God nothing else moving him But haply then some may say to me It seemeth not to be true Object that God vouchsafeth mercy unto his chosen and pardon for their sins for the sake of Christ if he shew mercy of his own free will then not for the sufferings of Christ which were a grosse errour to conclude To this I answer that these two things are subordinate Answ as we speak in schooles they do and may well agree and stand together God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ and merely out of his own will how can these two stand together yes very well for why God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ the will of God is that his chosen should have the pardon of their sins through Jesus Christ and that pardon of sin should not come without Christ as Christ affirmeth John 6.40 for this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the son and believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Now if any do object that of the Prophet Esay 43.25 Object I am he that hath put away all thine iniquities for mine own sake therefore it seemeth it is not for Christs sake but for his own sake as the Lord professeth I answer Answ God doth therefore pardon the sins of his chosen for his own sake because he doth it for Christs sake for all the works of every person is the work of the whole Trinity that which the Son worketh the Father and Holy Ghost worketh in Unity of Godhead so that mercy cometh only from God the Father And the reason why God vouchsafeth mercy to any is nothing else but Gods free will This first meeteth with a false conclusion of Arminius and of the Arminians Vse 1 that say God may decree to shew mercy unto such as believe and repent and such as persevere in grace and sanctification Now this is to restrain Gods shewing of mercy to mens qualification And to make something in man to be the cause and reason of Gods shewing mercy Where as these two stand together never they can possibly agree being contraria contraria sine medio That Gods will is the cause of his mercy to man and that God sheweth mercy because of their faith vertue and qualification in good things they are two opposites but to leave them Farther this being so That Gods mere Will is the cause of his mercy Vse 2 unto us and nothing else hereby then we must learn to magnifie the mercy of God vouchsafed unto us in any kind whatsoever hath God vouchsafed mercy unto us in regard of our bodies but especially in respect of our soules hath he converted our sinful soules from wickednesse to himself hath he reached out his mercy so far as that he hath extended his saving grace unto our soules Oh then learn we to acknowledge that it is most free and that it hath been vouchsafed merely from God himself nothing in us as a reason or cause to move him why he should shew us the least mercy And thus meditate and think with thy self whosoever thou art that hast found Gods mercy and his saving grace reached out unto thy sinful soul Oh consider surely I was in the common estate and condition of all men I was guilty of damnation by reason of the sin committed by Adam I was begotten and brought forth in sin and lived therein in a miserable estate and condition and I had no feeling of my misery no desire to be saved and when God sought me I desired him not I closed mine eyes against him and would not see the light I stopped mine eares and would not hear his voyce But the
God by nature and by essence God of himself equal to his Father indeed as Christ Jesus is the second Person in the Trinity and in regard of his Sonship he is from his Father begotten of him from all eternity as he is the Son But in respect of his Godhead he is God of himself equal to his Father the Apostle here affirmeth it that he is true God and very God and not onely barely affirmeth it but backeth his affirmation by two special epithets and titles to prove it First he is over all he is over all persons and over all things he being Creator over all Coloss 1.16 By him were all things created visible invisible Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers Secondly he is said to be blessed for ever which is also an epithet title and attribute of God Rom. 1.25 the Gentiles turned the truth of God into a lye and worshipped the creature and forsook the Creator blessed for ever and this holy truth of God hath not only ground and footing here but in other places of Scripture Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and that word was God even before the world was or had a being he was God yea the Evangelist saith that by it all things were made and without it was made nothing that was made he putteth it down both affirmatively and negatively and in Joh. 8.58 Christ saith Before Abraham was I am a title and an attribute proper and peculiar to God alone Exod. 3.14 I am hath sent me unto you not I was before Abraham but I am Philip. 2.6 the Apostle saith that Christ even before his incarnation was in the form of God and he thought it no robbery to be equal with God he knew it to be no wrong nor usurpation to be equal with God It were no hard matter at large to prove this truth as by the predictions and foretellings of the holy Prophets of God which are spoken of Jehovah in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we find applyed to Christ and also by the works that are proper to God and peculiarly appropriated to God and cannot be but of a Divine Nature these are given to Christ as to make the world to know the hearts of men and forgive sins yea by the many and wonderful Miracles that he wrought beyond the power of man man was not able to perform the like which his enemies could not chuse but acknowledge that therein appeared a Divine power all this doth demonstrate unto us the truth of Christs Godhead Yet before I come to make use of it I hold it needful to answer some Cavils which are brought even against this very text that now we have in hand for some wrangling spirits in the world do stretch their wits to wrong this Text and say that Christs Divine Nature is not proved out of this Text which to my understanding is as clear as any in the Book of God Cavil For thus they Reason say they Not every one that is called God in Scripture is therefore the God of heaven and earth for Magistrates are called gods Psal 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of gods and in the sixth verse I have said Ye are gods And again in that it is ascribed unto Christ to be over all that title belongeth unto Christ not by nature but by donation it is a donative given him from his Father in Phil. 2.9 where it is said God hath highly exalted him and given him a name over all names so that blessed for ever is a title given him of his Father and belongeth to God the Father and they alledge Rom. 1.25 and in 2 Cor. 1.3 11.31 where blessed for ever is given to God the Father And therefore this place is no clear evidence and proof of the Godhead of Christ thus they seek to put out the clear light of the truth But they are easily answered Answ First of all it is true indeed Magistrates are gods they are said to be gods not properly but figuratively and by resemblance and by way of similitude they bear the Image of God and stand in the Room of God in regard of their power and authority Note And it is worth our marking we shall find that the name and title of God is never in Scripture given to any one singular person to any one individual I have said you are gods but never said I have said thou art a god or if it be it is with a limitation to a certain sense as God saith to Moses I have made thee a god thou art a made god In my place thou art a god to Pharaoh Again Magistrates in Scripture are never said to be God over all but Christ is here said to be God over all which proveth that he is the great and mighty God the King of heaven and earth he is God over all Oh but they say this title over all it belongeth not to Christ by nature but by donation and guift They are deceived and the ground they build upon is not a good foundation For in Philip. 2. you shall find there that the Apostle speaketh of the exaltation of Christ as he is the Mediatour so he hath a name by guift he hath a name given him over all names according to his humane Nature but he is God over all by Nature and that appeareth in Joh. 3.31 He that is come from on high is above all still the Evangelist saith he is above all and over all so that he hath that properly by nature Now touching the phrase the last thing that they alledge blessed for ever which they say is never given to any but to God the Father it is true it is usually in Scripture given to God the Father yet not by way of exclusion not exclusively not so as that the Son and Holy Ghost are shut to be blessed for when it is given to God the Creator as in Rom. 1.25 it is not onely to God the Father but even therein also is Christ included because by him are all things created Joh. 1.3 Col. 1.16 For the work of Creation is a work of the whole Trinity so that notwithstanding this allegation and Cavil it is still a truth That Christ Jesus is God true God very God God by nature God by being God of himself equal to his Father Come we now to the Application I might bend the force of this truth against the opinions of the Arians Vse and Mahumethists that have along time blasphemed Christ but their old rotten opinions have been sufficiently confuted by the Ancient Divines of our Church But take we notice of this truth to this purpose It serveth to clear the Doctrine of our Church from a vile slander and blot that the Papists seem to blemish it withal The Papists are so impudent and shamelesse that they stick not to charge our Doctrine to be tainted with no lesse then the highest degree of Atheisme in this respect
is so exceeding patient Vse 2 toward wicked sinners and reprobates such as provoke him to anger every day Learn we upon this ground to be like unto God our Heavenly Father we professing our selves to be the Children of God after the example of God our Heavenly Father Let us learn to be patient and to be forbearing towards our brethren towards them that provoke us unto anger by some offence or injurie it is a dutie often pressed upon us by weightie Arguments in the Colossians 3.11 Now therefore as the elect of God Holy and beloved put on meeknesse humblenesse tender bowels tender mercie long suffering as a special part of the glorious vesture of the soul Doe you professe your selves to be new men put on this as a special ornament and abiliment of your souls the world accounts it a matter of disgrace unto them to put up an injurie and a wrong done unto them nay a matter of folly What say they shal we be made fools and so doing they think to avoid the name of fools and yet practice the works of fools for revenge rests in the bosome of fools saith the wise man Eccles 7.11 Hastie anger and sudden passions upon every turn of the hand resteth in the bosome of fooles Oh then labour we to put on this part of the holy garment and godly Saint-like ornament of the soul long-suffering howsoever the world accounts it a matter of folly yet it is a note of wisdome to be slow to anger and howsoever the world accounts it a note of disgrace of a coward of a milksop to put up wrong yet the holy Ghost saith it is a note of valour and of great fortitude Prov. 16.32 where the Holy Ghost saith He that is slow to anger is better then a mighty man and he that ruleth his own passion and spirit better then a man that overcometh a City And remember this withal long-suffering maketh us like unto God our heavenly Father and it bringeth unto our souls exceeding comfort never did any man repent himself of his long patience and long suffering but many have repented of their swift anger and wrath and that exceedingly and justly too Last of all is God patient to wicked men then much more is God patient to his own children is he patient to those that are fit fuel for the fire of hell such as run on in their filthinesse and will he be stirred up to anger against his own children doth the Lord suffer them to run on with an high hand against him in their sinnes and will he be soon provoked against thee that art his child will he be patient to impenitent persons and punish thee that art penitent will he suffer them to prosper that make no bones of any sin but run headlong into all manner of sinnes and punish thee that art grieved for thy sins and tremblest at the Word of God assuredly no take it to thy comfort he that is long-suffering to the wicked his enemies will much more be so to thee that art his Child VVhat if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to Destruction IN the next place is to be considered the end of Gods long patience and long suffering to Reprobates The end of Gods long suffering and patience to the Reprobates is to manifest the power of his wrath and that is to make his power known God suffereth Reprobates a long time that there may be a Manifestation of his power and wrath in punishing of them which are holy and good ends Here we might stand to shew that the Lord will be known to be a God of power not onely of infinite power of mercy but he will be known to be a God of just anger and of punishment on wicked persons and therefore the Lord hath appointed some to everlasting destruction for the setting forth of his power for if all were to be saved then he were onely a God of mercy but the Lord will be known to be a just God in his punishing of them and to be a God of infinite power Now if it be so as the Anabaptists hold that he hath ordained all to salvation he were then a God of mercy and not of Justice Let us consider these two ends 1. to shew his wrath 2. to make his power known And first of the end to shew his wrath What if God willing to shew his wrath God suffereth wicked persons that he might conceive just displeasure against them and might inflict punishment upon them and might justly be angry with them to this end is he patient and forbears them Now then from this we may gather this Conclusion That God is justly offended with such persons that do abuse his patience Doct. 3 and his long forbearance and are nothing at all bettered by it such persons as are not bettered by his long forbearance he will at length inflict most just and fearful punishment and vengeance upon them Wicked persons having escaped a long time unpunished and still continuing obstinate and wilful in their sins shall surely feel the just vengeance of God poured out upon them and to this purpose is that a clear text in Rom. 2. 4 5. where the Apostle threateneth Judgment to fall upon as do abuse the bounty gentlenesse kindnesse and patience of God and are not bettered by it but rather worse Oh saith the Apostle thou that sufferest thy self to go on in sin and art not led to repentance by the long suffering of God what dost thou thou dost heap up to thy self wrath and heavy vengeance against the day of wrath In Prov. 1.22 the Wisdome of God cryeth out to wicked and ungodly persons in this manner O you foolish people how long will you be so foolish how long will the scornful take pleasure and delight in scorning Oh you wicked and ungodly persons you that go on in sin without repentance will you still spend your time and yeares and dayes in vanity will you not make use and profit of the means of grace then she threateneth them for their contempt of grace in the 24 25 and 26. verses O you fooles how long will ye love foolishnesse Seeing I have called and you have refused I have wooed you I have sought unto you and sent my Messengers and Ministers time after time and you have refused my Correction and my Counsel therefore saith the Lord I will laugh at your destruction and mock when your fear cometh You still going on Gods laughter is more to be feared then his anger and casting my words at your heeles therefore I shall mock when your fear commeth when I see you wallow and tumble in your destruction I will laugh it shall rejoyce my heart where the Holy Ghost doth plainly teach us that the Lord doth thus deal with those that abuse his patience Because the abusing of the long-suffering of God it is a resisting of God Reason
be rightly affected to the good estate of the Land and true friends to it they delight and much rejoyce in that which is the true happinesse of the Land and the strength and stability of it which is the Gospel and flourishing of the truth and holy Religion of God Now the Papists are so far from this as indeed they envy the truth and hate the holy Religion of God that is amongst us and they cannot abide it they oppose against it what they are able and seek by all means they can to overturn it yea it would do them good at the heart to see the Gospel removed out of the Land and the holy truth and Religion we yet enjoy quite overturned and their abominable Idolatry and superstition set up in the place of it they rejoyce when they see the cause of our holy Religion weakened and when they see such as stand soundly for the maintenance of it disgraced and discountenanced oh how do they exult and rejoyce at it and can they then be good friends to the good estate of the Land who thus envy the true good of the land and that wherein stands the true glory and happinesse and strength and stability of it no no it is not possible let them say what they will to the contrary they pretend and say they are as good subjects as the best and would make the world believe that howsoever they differ from us in Religion yet they wish as well to the State and they are as good friends to the King and to the State as the best of us all thus they prate and thus they would make the world believe but their lying and equivocating is palpable indeed and in truth there is no such matter They that hate Zion as Psal 129.5 They that wish ill to the holy Religion of God that is amongst us and is our glory our happinesse our strength and stability say what they will assuredly they cannot possibly be rightly affected and true friends to the good estate of our Land and Kingdom And we for our parts are to be earnest with the Lord that these enemies of the Gospel may not be too far trusted yea we ought as the Apostle exhorts 2 Thess 3.1 2. to pray and that earnestly that the Gospel may have free passage and be glorified amongst us and that we may be delivered from these perverse and unreasonable men And surely if they do in any sort prevail against the Gospel and the holy Religion we professe we may justly impute it to this as one speciall cause that we are defective in this duty VERSE 5. Of whom are the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen IN this Verse the Apostle puts down a third cause and reason moving him to wish himself separated or accursed from Christ for the conversion of the Jewes namely this because of them were the fathers and of them Christ came according to the flesh who is farther described to be God over all and Blessed for ever To which the Apostle subscribes and gives assent in the word Amen Of whom are the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen I will as briefly as I can open the sense and meaning of the words of this Verse Of whom are the fathers Or whose are the fathers that is of which people were the honourable and holy Patriarks of whom they are descended as of honourable ancestors and progenitors whose praise is in the word which also had the promises of Gods mercy to them and to their posterity Gen. 17.4 7. and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came Of which Israelites Christ descended according to his humane nature and took his humane nature of their stock as we have it Rom. 1.3 he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and Hebrewes 2.16 it is said he took the seed of Abraham VVho is God over all blessed for ever Some do alter and change the reading of these words and do thus read them God who is over all be blessed for ever and so they will not have this clause referred to Christ but think that the Apostle doth here conclude with a general doxology in giving praise to God but this is a violence to the Text. It is plain that the Apostle having made mention of Christ his origen and beginning according to the flesh his purpose was also to make mention of his God-head and that to the praise of the Nation of the Jews that of that nation Christ came who is not onely man but God also even true God and very God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God by Being or Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eternal Over all That is over all persons and over all things blessed for ever That is God eternal and for ever to be praised in all ages and for ever for this is a title attributed and given to God the Creator Rom. 1.25 Amen That is So be it or let it be so Thus then conceive we the meaning of the words of this Verse as if the Apostle had said Of which people the Israelites were the honourable and holy Patriarks of whom they are descended as of most honourable Ancestors and Progenitors and of which Israelites Christ also descended according to his humane nature and took his flesh and humane nature of their stock The Metaphrase which Christ is not onely Man but God also Even true God and very God by nature and God over all persons and over all things yea God eternal to be blessed and praised in all ages and for ever To which I give my assent and say So be it or Let it be so Having now the sense and meaning of the words come we now to some matter of doctrine that this Verse will afford us And first we see it here put down by the Apostle as an honour to the Jewes and as a special priviledge that they were the posterity of the holy Patriarchs Whence note we briefly thus much Doctrine That it is no small honour to be of the race or kindred of such as have been the holy servants of God it is a matter of dignity to be the children of good and godly parents we read Rom. 16. that the Apostle often remembers this as an honour to such and such that they were of his kindred vers 7. Andronicus and Junia my cousens vers 11. Herodian my kinsman vers 21. Lucius and Iason and Sosipater my kinsmen Colos 4.10 the Apostle commends Marcus to the Colossians as a person worthy of respect under this title that he was Barnabas sisters son not to inlarge the point the reason why it is an honour and dignity to be of the race or kindred of such as have been the holy servants of God and to be the children of good and godly parents is Reason Because good men themselves are highly in favour with God
the great Lord and King of heaven and earth and God hath promised to do good to them and to their posterity for many generations Exod. 20.6 To shew mercy unto thousands to them that love him Psal 112.2 The generation of the righteous shall be blessed yea they are his Jewels Mal. 3.16 Vse 1 See then for the Use of this in the first place see I say and take we notice of the great force of true piety of what account it is with the Lord it 's sufficient to get honour not onely to those that have it with all that are able to judge aright but also to their kindred and to their posterity and such as be of kindred or any way allied unto good and godly men may rejoyce in it and after an holy manner boast of it that they are the kinsmen of such worthy servants of God or that they are the children of such godly parents yet so as that by the example of their kindred they be stirred up to tread in their steps and to become holy and religious themselves otherwise that honour will turn to their shame as Solomon saith Prov. 16.31 Age is a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousnesse so to be descended of good and godly parents is a crown of glory if it be set on the head of such as are godly and religious otherwise it is a dishonour to them and without Gods mercy shall encrease their condemnation and on this ground let parents learn how they may estate their children in that which may be for their honour and best good namely thus they are to labour to bring themselves within the Covenant of grace and to become holy and religious themselves and then though they cannot derive their holinesse to their children because they beget them not as they be holy men but as men simply by the power and strength of nature yet by vertue of the Covenant God will be good to their children Gen. 26. we read of many blessings promised to Isaac and why because saith the text vers 5. Abraham his father obeyed the voyce of the Lord. Holinesse in the Parents seales up Gods favour not onely to themselves but to their children also This cannot raking and scraping together of wealth do it is a common saying but a wicked and cursed saying Happy is the child whose father goes to the Devil It is rather a comfort to the children when they can remember that their parents are or have been godly and in the favour of God they may then say as Jacob said Gen. 32.9 Lord thou hast been or thou art the God of my father good and gracious to him shew thou mercy to me his child according to thine own sweet promise Last of all Is it an honour and dignity to be of the race or kindred of Vse 2 such as have been holy servants of God and to be the children of good and godly Parents what an honour then is it to be the children of God and to be born of God and to be the adopted sons and daughters of God without question that is the highest degree of honour that can be vouchsafed to any worldly men esteem it a great honour to be of the race or kindred of Noble men and great men in the world but alas it is but a shadow or rather not so much as a shadow compared to the true honour of the least or meanest of Gods Saints They are the adopted sonnes and daughters of God the great Lord and King of heaven and earth they are brethren to Christ heires to the Kingdom of heaven they have Angels for their guard all things for their good and the whole world is theirs and this honour ought to affect our hearts and we are to be ambitious in seeking this honour above all things in the world Now further it is not to be passed by without noting that the Apostle here saith the Jewes who lived in his time at the time when he writ this Epistle were the posterity of the holy Patriarks and no doubt they were then able to fetch their pedegree from those holy Fathers and to prove themselves to be the seed and children of Abraham and to come of his line as they alledge for themselves and brag of it to Christ Joh. 8.33 VVe be Abrahams seed and verse 39. Abraham is our father yea doubtlesse they could then shew a perpetuall succession of their high Priests from Aaron to the time of Christ yet for all this they were rejected and were not the true Church of God the Jewes now rejecting Christ and refusing to imbrace the faith and doctrine of the Gospel are not the true Church of God though they be descended from Abraham and from the holy Patriarks and though they can derive their pedegree from them See then I note it to this purpose the vanity and weaknesse of that argument that is used by our adversaries the Papists that forsooth the continual succession of Bishops is an evident argument of the true visible Church and they will needs have their Romish Synagogue to be the onely true Church because as they say their Pope is the successour of Peter and they have had a continual ordinary succession of Bishops Pastours and Doctors from the time of the Apostles which indeed is a vain brag and can never be proved it is questionable whether Peter ever sate as Bishop at Rome And the Popish Church hath no succession from the Apostles for many hundred yeares after Christ at the least for five or six hundred years And admit they could shew a continued succession of their Bishops from the time of the Apostles without interruption yet that is but a sandy and a weak ground to build the truth of their Church on unlesse they can also shew a continual succession of true doctrine and that their Church hath succeeded the Apostles in truth of doctrine for indeed they cannot be said to succeed them whose doctrine they renounce An outward succession of persons in any place without succession of true doctrine from the Apostles which the Papists cannot shew is nothing worth It helpeth not the Bishop of Rome to have as they say Peter for their predecessour and that they are his successours so long as they swerve from the true Doctrine of Peter and are become such grosse Idolaters that personal succession if they could prove it can nothing avail them It followeth verse 5. and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came that is of which Jews Christ also descended concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature This is also added as further matter of honour and dignity to the Jewes that Christ came of them concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature that he that was the Sonne of God and that from all eternity should have the same Ancestors and Progenitors with them Whence we see then Doctr. That the Jewes are a very Honourable people having many excellent priviledges and prerogatives
promise this is also confirmed by a testimony of Scripture in the ninth verse thus we see then the Analysis of the verse Come we now to the meaning of the words neither are they all children That is neither are they all children of God children of Abraham to whom God made the promise of life and of salvation because they are the seed of Abraham Or because they are the children of Abraham according to the flesh by carnal generation therefore they are not children of Abraham and so consequently of God But in Isaac shall thy seed be called This is a place of Scripture cited out of Gen. 21.12 where God speaketh unto Abraham to his comfort against his heavinesse because he was grieved exceedingly that he should cast forth his son Ishmael and Hagar his mother and these words carry this sense Be not grieved Abraham to cast out Ishmael and his mother but do as Sarah thy wife would have thee for I tell thee that Ishmael thy son shall not be thy son and heir but Isaac is the child in whom I will make good my promise concerning righteousnesse life and salvation and therefore be not grieved to cast out Ishmael for Isaac is thine heir So then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle Neither are they all the children of God or of Abraham to whom God hath promised salvation that come of Abraham according to the flesh for I tell thee saith the Apostle in the name of God Ishmael thy son shall not be thine heir but Isaac is the son of the Promise and in him will I fulfill saith the Lord the promise of grace life and salvation Come we now to the Observations And first of all in that the Apostle saith all they are not Gods children or the children of the promise to whom salvation belongeth that are of the race and linage according to the flesh hence the observation is this Doctrine That men are not therefore Gods children and have not therefore right and title unto the Promises of mercy and of grace life and salvation because they are the children of godly parents and of true believers The very coming and discending from holy parents by the course of nature is not sufficient to intitle a man or a woman into the promises of God touching life and salvation because a man is the child of a holy parent or holy parents therefore to have right and title to the promises of God no no such matter Hence it was that the Lord Jesus did so often check the Jewes for standing so much upon their birth and parentage that they were the children of Abraham as if that were sufficient to estate them in the promise appertaining to Abraham and was appropriated to Abraham and his seed saith Christ Matth. 3.9 think not to say within your selves We have Abraham to our Father do not think that this is sufficient to intitle you into grace and salvation you are his children but by nature so in Joh. 8. The Jewes boasting that they were Abrahams seed in the 33. verse of the Chapter and that Abraham was their Father in the 39 verse and that therefore God was their Father in the 41 verse yet Christ saith that notwithstanding their coming from the loynes of Abraham that they are of their father the devil in the 44 verse and the lusts of their father they would do And hence it is we find both in the Book or God and by experience in our own times that many gracelesse children have discended from God and godly holy and religious parents Ishmael came of Abraham Esau of Isaac Manasses of Hezekiah that made Jerusalem to swim with blood and therefore this demonstrateth that men are not Gods children and have not therefore promise to life and salvation because they come of good and godly parents and are of true believers for gracelesse children have come of godly parents Reason Because good and godly parents do beget their children not as they are godly holy and religious men but merely by the power and strength of nature as they are men And godly parents do convey and derive natural affections into their children from their loynes yea and with their nature the putrifaction and infection of nature and that which is common to the stock and nature of mankind though the parents be good and godly not that children have in themselves by imitation a pronenesse to evil and a pronenesse to good no it cometh from their parents they recive it from their stock race and line and hence it is that we are said in Ephes 2.3 to be the children of wrath by nature by nature and birth we are so bornâ— so that this is certainly a truth that the coming and discending from holy parents is not sufficient to intitle us to heaven Object But the Lord hath promised in Exod. 20.6 that he will shew mercy unto thousands to them that love him and keep his Commandements yea to their children after them to a thousand generations Answ It is true that the Lord will be good and gracious to those that truly fear him and to those that tread in their steps if they be good and gratious to a thousand generations but the Lord saith Ezech. 18.10 if a good man beget a gracelesse child saith the Lord that wicked child shall dye in his sins and his blood shall be upon him the righteousnesse of his father shall never be imputed unto him Object The Apostle here saith in 1 Cor. 7.14 that the children of believing parents though one of them be a believer whether father or mother then the children are holy therefore it seemeth that the coming and discending from those that are true believers is sufficient to intitle them that are children unto the promise of God concerning righteousnesse life and salvation and therefore they are holy Answ The meaning of the Apostle in that place is this That the children of believing parents those children are holy not in regard of any internal or inherent holinesse in the children themselves for then the Apostle would have said they are pure in opposition to the former sentence then they are unclean And again if the children coming from true believers have inherent holinesse in themselves then they belonged to Gods election which they do not by reason of their birth how are they then holy they are holy by vertue of the covenant by a holinesse that cometh from the Covenant vertually they are to be esteemed federally holy and such as belong unto Gods election coming unto them from the covenant For the covenant is of such a great reach and so far doth extend as that they that have right unto it and true interest in the Covenant by true faith they are thereby not onely sanctified in themselves and in their own persons but in their good actions their eating sleeping talking and walking yea the very creatures of God they enjoy their meat and drink gold silver and oxen and sheep they are
passe that God giveth them over to strong delusions to believe lyes it may be they come to some understanding of the truth but they have no love unto it and therefore God sendeth them strong delusions that is such delusions as doth deceive them and hold them fast when they are deluded the Lord will not send unto them only such errours that do prevail but shall hold them and keep them and they think themselves in a very good case and in the right way when they are most perverse and so go on in a stubborn rebellion against the truth and their own salvation Therefore let us receive the truth in love to the truth and to testifie our love unto the truth by hating all contrary errours not only thinking indifferently of them and judging well of them but hating of them thus did David Psal 119.104 hate all wayes of falshood and thus it ought to be with us not onely to receive the truth after a slubbering manner but to hate all errours and assuredly it is a worthy speech of One to this purpose Unlesse we hate Atheisme and Irreligion we do not love the truth of God and his holy Religion nor God himself so unlesse we hate Papisme Anabaptisme and Familisme and Brownisme and other separations we do not love the truth as we ought to do we see the Papists can well endure the Familists and the Familists well indure the Papists they can live together quietly Oh say the Familists what need you make such ado against the Papists we can live amongst them and not be tainted I believe them for they both hate the truth But let us testifie our love unto the Gospel while it is amongst us and be well affected with every Sermon every threatening every comfort every promise published and hate all Papisme all Anabaptisme all Familisme all Brownisme all separations though they say we are too hot against the separation no if we love the truth we hate all errours and separations Neither onely this but when Rebekah also had conceived by one even by our father Isaac IN that the Apostle here bringeth an example and instance of Jacob and of Esau being an instance and an example more strong and free from all exception and cavils sufficient to answer the Cavils of the Jewes and to silence them they having nothing to say against it touching their Objection that all that came of Abraham by natural generation are heirs of salvation Hence we may note thus much That the Scripture hath sufficient ground of truth in it self Doctrine it hath evidence of truth and example sufficient for the clearing and resolving of all doubts all difficulties and questions and cases of Conscience and for the convincing of all manner of errours it is sufficient in it self to answer all false conceits and erroneous opinions in respect of the positions and examples of it even to answer all cavils and opinions whatsoever and convince all manner of errours 2 Tim. 3.16 saith the Aposile the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and it is profitable and useful not onely to teach and to instruct in the truth but also to improve and exhort And indeed in the Scripture is found the good acceptable and perfect will of God is revealed in the Scripture even that will in the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.15 which is able to make us wise unto salvation it containeth the perfect will of God that is able to make us wise to our comfort here and salvation hereafter what can we have more Vse Therefore wickedly and most injuriously deal the Papists in this point in that they charge upon the written Word of God imperfection and insufficiency and they say it is not a sufficient ground and rule of truth it is not able to clear all doubts and questions and cases without some addition without we adde some unwritten verities and therefore they joyn unto the Word of God and equal and match with it the Books Apocryphal and their traditions unwritten even the Popes Decretals and the constitutions and Canons of the Church they tender to the people to be received with the same reverence and the same affection as the true and perfect written Word of God is to be received So the Councel of Trent hath thus blasphemously decreed and set it down That they ought to receive upon pain of damnation as well the Decrees of the Pope and Canons of the Church with like love affection and reverence as they do the written and perfect Word of God thus blasphemously they deal But further come we now to consider the example of Jacob and Esau particularly as it is here laid before us And first of all the Apostle maketh known unto us in this tenth verse they being understood as before That Jacob and Esau were the children of the same parents they were begotten of the same Father and born of the same Mother and at one and the same time they were twins yet the holy Word of God doth further make known unto us that there was a large and a wide difference between these two brethren Jacob and Esau he maketh known they were of different dispositions and qualities and of a different life and conversation in other places of Scriptures as that Jacob was a plain man Gen. 25.27 a simple innocent a harmlesse a downright honest man a good man a holy man a man fearing God But the Holy Ghost saith of Esau and setteth this black mark upon him to be a prophane person a vile man one that sold his birth-right for a portion of meat Heb. 12.16 yea the context saith Gen. 25.34 that Esau contemned his birth-right which was a great honour and dignity he contemned it in respect of a portion of meat to satisfie his hunger for the present thus you see a large wide difference between these two men the one holy the other irreligious so that children of the same parents and born at the same time may differ one from another exceeding much and the observation arising hence is this Doctrine That the coming of the same Parents and blood and being born at the same time even under the same position of the heavens and stars and constellations these are not the things that do make children of the same mind and of the same disposition and quality children are not of the like qualities carriage and behaviour because they come of the same parents and blood and are born at the same time and under the same positions of the heavens and constellations and stars as we see in this example of Jacob and of Esau And to adde some further ground for the proof of this point we find that the Lord did forbid his people continually and from time to time to observe times and to mark the constellations of the heavens as if so be that either the manners or dispositions of men and the affaires of men and the successe of things were over-ruled and overswayed by them Deut. 18.10 Let there be
not be ashamed dividing the Word of truth aright and in Titus 1.9 He doth affirm that the Preachers of the Word must hold fast the faithful Word and let none wring it out of their hands and that according to doctrine that he may be able to instruct the people of God by wholsome doctrine and also reprove them that gainsay it and refute them whatsoever they be that gainsay it thus confident ought every Minister of the Word to be This sheweth and discovereth unto us Vse that many are justly to be blamed and taxed that deliver their Doctrines carelesly and loosely and also their Applications without any ground of truth in Gods Word that when any come to object against it they flye from it and say it is the opinion of this or that man of this or that Father of this or that ancient Doctour nay it may be of such or such a Postiller or such a Popish Doctour Oh this doth not agree with the power authority and majestie of the Word of God we ought to deliver the Word of God with such power as we may stand to it and not flye to Fathers or Doctours or Postillers In the next place observe we our Apostle having delivered this holy truth of God grounded upon the truth of God touching Jacob and Esau he knew that some out of their natural reason and understanding would be ready to cavil against it and to make a wrong conclusion of it he knew that some would stagger at it and wrest and pervert the truth of God and would draw from it this conclusion therefore God is unjust so that the Apostle is forced to cry out VVhat shall we say then is God unjust hence the observation is this Doctrine That the holy truth of God it is subject to misconstructions to be perverted and to be wrested and to have false inferences and wrong conclusions and forced opinions wrested from it Mans carnal and corrupt reason doth commonly pervert the holy truth of God the doctrine of piety yea though it be made known to be the holy truth of God yet mans carnal reason and understanding is ready to pervert it and to force wrong conclusions from it And for the farther manifestation of it read Rom. 3.8 there it is said that the Apostle was blamed that he should say that we might do evil that good might come thereby Because the Apostle saith that by our wicked lives God was glorified so we read of the Sadduces Matth. 22.23 they laboured to pervert the truth concerning the resurrection from the dead and to draw from it a grosse absurdity that if there were a resurrection how should a woman that had seven husbands know whose wife she was but Christ telleth them they are deceived not knowing the Scripture so in 2 Pet. 3.16 the Apostle saith some did pervert and wrong the Gospel to their own destruction and in Esay 52.6 the Prophet speaketh of the niggards the niggard will speak like the niggard and in the middle of the verse he saith that he will speak falsly against the Lord he will labour to bring an untruth from the truth of God that thereby he might have some strength to his niggardlinesse that he might make hungry the weary soul and cause the weak to fall And not to adde further testimonies of Scripture common experience doth shew the truth of it for whence come errour and heresies but out of this bitter root that men do abuse and pervert the Scripture and make men believe that God speaketh that in his Word which he speaketh not and make that the purpose of the Holy Ghost which was never his purpose as Papists Anabaptists and Separatists and other erring spirits do whence cometh it but that they fasten their errours upon the Word of God whence cometh it that men go on boldly in their sins but that they draw false conclusions from the Word of God as in that the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 5.8 they that provide not for their own are worse then Infidels and therefore may they upon this ground practice the damnable sin of usury and extortion and of covetousnesse and of hoording up and also use fraud cosening and deceit and all unlawful meanes to enrich themselves so again some out of Exod. 22.25 where the Lord saith thou shalt not oppresse thy brother with usury Oh say they I may practise the sin of usury if I do not oppresse mine is not a biting but a toothlesse usury so that here is a wrong conclusion to imbolden men in sin so some hearing the speech of Christ the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath therefore say they we may upon the Sabbath use our recreations and sports and pastimes and we may walk to Tavernes and Ale-houses Oh what a grosse conclusion is this forced on the truth of God! so I might instance in many more to shew how mans nature is ready to pervert the truth of God Vse 1 First of all this holy truth of God is to be considered by us that are Teachers and Preachers of the Word of God it must teach us our Lesson that we delivering the holy truth of God we are not to think it strange or to stand amazed and wonder at it that men should pervert that truth and wrest wrong conclusions from it yea draw such things as are not thence to be drawn and force such conclusions as we never thought upon Neither are we hereupon to shut our mouthes and resolve with Jeremiah I will speak no more in the name of the Lord my words are wrested and perverted But we must remember that the holy truth of God is subject to be perverted yea it is an argument that the truth we deliver is a sure truth of God because the devil and his instruments rage so much against it and because carnal men and unsanctified hearts and soules do wrangle against it we must not therefore be driven away from delivering the truth of God but we must be comforted in the truth Again this being so that the truth of God is subject to be perverted Vse 2 and to have wrong and false conclusions drawn from it surely then let us take heed how we do either hear or read the Word of God I do not disswade any man from hearing or reading the Word of God but take heed how we read or hear it for the adulterer or the prophane Sabbath-breaker or any other can draw a conclusion from the Word of God but take heed what we conclude from the Word of God And know it is not enough for us that we are taught the Word of God truly and live under a good Preacher a holy and faithful Ministery as many do to increase their deep condemnation but we must remember that so great is the corruption of our hearts and understanding our judgments are so perverted and so out of order that indeed unlesse they be sanctified and renued by grace they are ready to pervert the truth of
as the haughty eye and lying tongue he doth not onely hate the pride and the lye but the haughty eye and the lying tongue and the heart of wickednesse and the feet running to mischief so odious and hateful is errour and sin to God therefore we must herein endeavor to be like our heavenly Father and not onely disclaim errour and sin but hate it with a loathing detestation like unto God our Father yea hate the members of sin Vse Upon this ground of truth it followeth by way of Use and Application thnt it must be far from every one of us we professing through Gods mercy the holy truth of God and the holy religion of God which now standeth in force and authority amongst us we must take heed that we be not indifferent persons persons of indifferent minds in respect of the errours of Popery Anabaptisme or any other errours whatsoever not caring what end goeth forwards or what Religion is in force whether Papistry or the truth or no but disclaim them and hate them with detestation And it is but a phantasie and a dream of some of the Polititians and Politick heads in this age that turn Religion to a matter of policy that forsooth there may be a pacification between us and the Papists in matter of Religion and there may be a mixture of our Religion with Popish Religion if there were but a moderation and a yeelding of both sides this is abominable and odious to make this composition of Religion for why Against Tolleration the Religion we hold and professe it is grounded upon the holy truth of God revealed unto us out of the holy Scriptures and the Popish Religion is contrary unto it and doth overturn and throw down the truth of God yea it doth overturn all the Articles of our Christian Religion in their tenents and therefore in the 2 Corinth 6.14 saith the Apostle What fellowship is between light and darknesse What agreement between us and the Papists in matter of Religion therefore we must hate their religion And to stirre us up unto this duty there being never more need then now wherein many men of unstable and unsanctified hearts begin to link and encline to Popery let us therefore know that we do not truly disclaim and hate Popish religion unlesse we hate them and account their Positions as dangerous and such as will destroy our soules if we cleave unto them howsoever some say they cannot endure Popery yet assuredly unlesse they hate it with unfeigned hatred they do not aright detest them for when men begin to speak favourably of Papistry and of Anabaptisme and of other errours and say they have some truth in them and they begin to like of them these men do not as they ought to do they do not hate and dislike errours and false doctrines but assuredly a thousand to one in short time they will be insnared and intangled with the position of Popery or Anabaptisme as the holy Prophet said to the people 1 King 18.21 how long will ye halt between two opinions this is not to go out in the right profession of the truth with unfeigned hearts assuredly he that loveth God and good things will hate evil as he that loveth chastity will abhor uncleannesse and filthinesse he that loveth just dealing will hate cosening he that maketh conscience of the Sabbath cannot endure the prophanation of the Sabbath so he that loveth the truth will disclaim all errours as Popery and Anabaptisme and such like foolish opinions as if a man see a Toad a Serpent or Snake he will flye from it it being poysonful and hurtful and not receive that for his nutriment which he knoweth will procure his detriment And therefore let us never rest untill we find a detestation in us of Popery and all other errours and then we shall be sure to stand fast in the true Religion in the middest of Popery if Popery should come as God forbid it should we might by our hatred of it be kept from embracing it therefore labour to hate and detest it VERSE 15. For he said unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy And I will shew compassion to whom I will shew compassion THe blessed Apostle having in the Verses precedent given us a general denyal of that grosse conclusion which some might infer upon his speech that because God loved Jacob and hated Esau freely without any respect had to any good in Jacob or evil in Esau therefore God is partial and unequal in his dealing he having I say denyed this most emphatically with an Absit God forbid Now our Apostle subjoyneth a more special denyal and confutation and refutation of that absurd and grosse conclusion in the 15 16 17 and 18. verses of this Chapter In the 15. and 16. verses the Apostle sheweth that God is not unjust in his free choyce of some particular persons amongst men to life and salvation and in the 17. and 18. verses he sheweth God is not unjust in his free and absolute rejection of others In the 15. verse he cleareth God from injustice by a testimony of Scripture and in the 16. verse he doth conclude and determine that point Now touching the testimony of Scripture in the 15. verse first the Apostle makes known by whom and to whom it was uttered and spoken Then secondly he putteth down the words of the testimony I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion This testimony of Scripture is here brought by the Apostle as a proof of this that though God did freely from everlasting out of his own mere good pleasure nothing else moving him thereunto choose some men to life and salvation and reject others yet was he most just and righteous and herein lyeth the weight and force of his Argument That God hath free and absolute power to shew mercy unto whom he will and to deny his mercy unto whom he will therefore he is not unjust and unrighteous in choosing some to salvation and rejecting others to damnation And thus you see the scope of the words and general matter of this Verse Now the words of this 15. verse are somewhat to be examined For he saith to Moses that is God said unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and shew compassion to whom I will shew compassion These words they are the words of God to Moses in Exodus 33.19 there we find these very words And the occasion of the uttering of these words to Moses was upon Moses request unto God that he might see Gods glory in the 18. verse of that Chapter And God promised unto him that he would shew him his back-parts and so in part yeelded unto his request and then he subjoyneth these very words as a reason why he would shew that favour to Moses and to no other man Not for any merit or any worthinesse in Moses himself but out
first of all from the first act of God that God hath mercy on whom he will the words being understood of the extending and reaching out of Gods mercy Here again the same point is offered unto us which before we handled in the 15. verse namely Doctrine That Gods mercy reached out and extended to his chosen is most free and voluntary it dependeth upon the free will of God and upon nothing else it dependeth upon nothing out of God but upon his meer love yet this point is not to be passed over without some further use and applicacation then heretofore was made Vse And for the Application of it we are to consider it as a guide and rule unto us in our shewing of mercy to our brethren in our reaching and extending of mercy here is a rule and guide to direct us Doth God extend and reach out his mercy to his chosen freely and voluntarily nothing moving him but his own free will and good love surely then we must thus do we must be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6.36 Now how is he merciful freely out of his own free love and mere goodnesse nothing moving him thereunto but his own free love thus must we do we must shew mercy and exercise the works of mercy towards our brethren freely not respecting their merits nor their deservings yea beloved our mercy and doing of good and the comfort we administer and yeeld to any either in word or in deed must proceed from the inward movings of our hearts and the yearning and tendernesse of our bowels towards those to whom we do any good out of pity and compassion towards them even as God doth freely nothing moving us thereunto in Esay 5.10 the Prophet saith if thou pour out thy soul to the hungry mark this you that are fast fisted the Lord doth not onely require the pouring out of food but of our very hearts and soules to feed the poor with the Affections of thy heart And indeed it is not an act of mercy pleasing to God that the Lord delighteth in that cometh either from our abundance and superfluity or else the importunity of those that are in great want and need nor yet from the example of others inviting us thereunto or for the desire of praise and seeking of Commendations amongst men that we would be well thought on no these are not works of mercy pleasing unto the Lord nor yet a work of mercy that is forced from men by some torture and torment to stop the mouth of an accusing and guilty conscience as for example when wicked rich men that are guilty to themselves how they have gotten their goods by evil meanes and have hoarded up abundance of wealth by the damnable sin of Usury by griping and oppressing the poor and such unlawful means And when they lye upon their death-bed gasping for breath then they are forced to bestow something to religious uses they give nothing before they dye but when they lye upon their death-bed and their Consciences flye up in their faces then they will give to an Hospital or an Almes-house or to the poor or Church to stop the mouth of the Conscience But this is no better then Sauls sacrifice of which we read in 1 Sam. 15. when he had transgressed the Commandement of God in reserving the best sheep and oxen he thought he would stop the mouth of the Lord with a Sacrifice so when men have gotten their goods by oppression and usury then when they are upon their death-beds then they will give unto the poor But the shewing of mercy that is pleasing unto God must come out of a tender and free heart as God is free in mercy so we must be free in exercising the works of mercy the works of mercy must come from the tendernesse of our hearts and without that surely all our shewing of mercy and doing of good though we build Hospitals as it is 1 Cor. 13.3 If I feed the poor with all my goods it is nothing without the heart the Lord looketh rather at the inward affections of the heart then the outward actions and duties of love and mercy 2 Cor. 9.7 every one as he is able must give not grudgingly because he is compelled to do it but the Lord loveth a cheerful giver And consider what moved the Lord to have mercy upon me or upon thee or upon any nothing so must we have mercy upon others freely and out of the tendernesse of our bowels pitying and commiserating their estate then thou art like unto God and this will yeeld thee true comfort else thy shewing of mercy is no better then Sauls sacrifice 1 Sam. 13. Again in that the Apostle faith God will have mercy upon whom he will The Apostle sheweth plainly that Gods shewing of mercy is indeed limited and reached out unto some and not unto others even to whomsoever it pleaseth him he hath mercy upon whom he will and not upon all the Apostles speech implyeth a limitation the point hence lyeth plain before us viz. That Gods will it is to extend and reach out his saving mercy Doctrine not to all men generally without exception of any but onely unto some amongst men The Lord out of his own free will and good pleasure doth extend and reach out his saving mercy in the act and exercise of it onely unto some amongst men and not to all men generally without exception And this may appear to be a truth by considering the saving mercies of God the mercies of God that are extended and reached out from the hand of God to men As first of all the saving mercy of Election unto life and glory it is according to the good will and pleasure of God extended and reached out onely unto some the Text is clear Ephesians 1.4 5. where the Apostle saith God hath chosen us not all the world but us in in Christ and hath Elected and Adopted us through Christ himself how according to the good pleasure of his will so also the saving mercy of God touching effectual Vocation and Calling it is according to the good will and pleasure of God extended to some amongst men in Matth. 11.25 I thank thee saith Christ O Father God of heaven and earth I thank thee that thou hast hid these things what things the saving comforts of the Gospel to be called to know thee through me thou hast hid these things from the wise and revealed them unto babes thou hast hid them from some and revealed them unto others and he subjoyneth even so it is O Father because it so pleaseth thee and in 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath called in by an holy calling according to his purpose and grace Rom. 3.24 we are Justified freely by the free grace of God without respect had to any thing in us thus the Holy Ghost speaketh in James 1.18 of Sanctification out of his own free will we are begotten and sanctified and renewed And touching Glorification the
creatures in heaven in earth or hell are able to frustrate and make void the will of God Indeed to prevent an objection in the beginning the will of God revealed is and may be daily withstood and resisted the Jewes did resist the Holy Ghost in the Ministry of the Prophets as their Fathers did Act. 7.51 And the Prophets do continually complain of this that they are brazen-faced stiff-necked of iron sinews rebelling and resisting the will of God But the secret will of God the purpose of God that cannot be withstood And to this purpose read the prayer of Jehoshaphat in the 2 Chron. 20.6 O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou God in heaven dost not thou reign over all the Nations and Kingdomes of the heathen in thy hand is might and power and none is able to withstand it None can resist thy will it must needs take effect And to this purpose speaketh Job Job 9.4 who ever withstood the Lord and prospered none was ever able to stand against the will of the Lord and prevail And in Esay 46.10 11. the Lord speaketh by his Prophet that he doth whatsoever he will as if he had said What is he that can withstand my purpose and hinder me from effecting what I have purposed Thus Nebuchadnezzar after he had been cast out from the fellowship and society of men and restored to his understanding again then confessed to the glory of God that according to his will he ruleth in heaven and in earth and none can stay thy hand in any thing thou purposest to do in Dan. 9. 32. And in Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever and ever And thus we may see it made good by plentiful evidences that neither men nor Angels good nor bad are able to make the will of God void and not to take effect Reason Because God is a God of infinite power able to do whatsoever he will so speaketh the Psalmist Psal 115.3 yea the Lord is able to do more then either he doth or will do he is Almighty and therefore his will is irresistible and cannot be withstood Object If Gods will be irresistible and cannot be withstood then if Gods will be to bestow grace upon some men they cannot choose but receive grace it cannot be withstood and they receive grace of necessity and if Gods will be to harden men they are hardened of necessity and so the will of man is made of necessity to yeeld to the will of God and the freedom and the liberty of mans will is quite taken away and the will it self quite overthrown for take away the liberty of the will and you destroy the will how is this Answ To this I answer it is not true that because the will of man is determined to one part either to good or evil by the will of God that therefore the liberty and freedom of mans will is taken quite away and overthrown No for these two may well stand together the determination of mans will to good or evil and yet the freedom of will remain some mens will is limited and determined of God to receive grace by the will of God and so he cannot but of necessity receive grace and cannot withstand nor resist the receiving of grace But mans will in this respect receiveth not grace by compulsion but freely the will of man being then inclined and then moved so to do by the gracious will of the holy Spirit of God and so it receiveth grace freely and voluntarily being made willing by the work of grace and power of the Spirit As God himself is by an absolute necessity the willer of good and his will cannot but will good yet when he willeth good he is not constrained to will good but he willeth good most necessarily and freely So on the contrary some mens will is limited and determined to do evil so as that he willeth evil of necessity yet this mans so willing of evil is free and not by compulsion it coming from the natural propension of his own will so that though mans will be limited and determined to evil by the will of God and to good yet the will of man is free because in the very Act of willing he is not compelled either to good or evil so that this we are to hold as a certain truth notwithstanding this objection that the will of God is irresistible and cannot be withstood either by men or Angels This must therefore teach us to learn to be resolved upon this truth of God Vse and to take heed of abusing it some there be that do abuse wrest and pervert the holy truth of God if it be so the will of God be irresistible what will it avail us to use any meanes for the attaining of good or the eschewing of evil when Gods will and his purpose cannot be by any means avoided but must needs stand and take place what need we then to use means for the obtaining of grace or avoiding of evil and this is the reasoning of flesh and blood but we must know that God willeth and worketh nothing ordinarily but by ordinary means that are effectual to that purpose and we are to think and to hope our endeavours shall be prosperous and leave the issue of that secret unto God yet admit that some men did use the means of grace and the eschewing of evil in vain and the will of God is that their endeavours shall not be blessed what then do they fail altogether of obtaining any good from the hand of God though the will of the Lord be so that they shall not obtain grace nor avoid evil yet they lose not their labours they come not short of their reward for by using the ordinary meanes of salvation surely many of them procure many temporal blessings upon them from the hands of the Lord yea hereby they come to have restraining grace wrought in them and to be restrained from the outrage and extremity of sin and to have an outward external formality and so they escape many fearful plagues and many fearful Judgments that are poured out upon such as are contemners and are rebellious in their sins take the example of Ahab Ahab upon his hypocritical counterfeit humiliation brought a temporal blessing upon himself that he should escape the Judgments which God had denounced 1 King 21.28 29. for as he shall that walketh in the sun receive some change in the colour of his face so for his counterfeit humiliation the plagues should be brought in his sons dayes so also those that use the means of grace shall have some blessing and thereby shall escape the Judgment that falleth upon other wilful rebellious persons yea hereby they shall escape the greatest torture in hell they shall have no such great damnation as they that wilfully run on in sin they shall have some lesse torture and some lesse pain then the other And therefore let us labour to use the means of salvation and
hath the Lord done this to bring us to this Land to fall upon the sword Is it not better for us to return into Egypt and to make a Captain over us the Lord hath mistook himself to bring us hither to fall by our enemies he hath took a wrong aym and so they thought themselves wiser then God And we shall find that Joshua calleth this rebellion in the ninth verse O my brethren saith he how long will ye rebel against the Lord And this sin of theirs made them hateful and odious to God so that we see that it is a thing odious monstrous and abominable for men to find fault with God touching his will in making and disposing of them and this is also proved by two Reasons Reason 1 Because this is a great dishonour to God it tendeth exceedingly to the dishonour of God thus to be found fault withal touching his will in framing of them this way or that way it is an impeachment to the wisdome or power of God or both as if the Lord were not wise enough to dispose of men or had not power enough to dispose of them As we know it tends to the disparagement of a Workman and his disgrace when men find fault with a piece of wood that the Artificer hath wrought for thereby men do argue the Workman to want wit or skill or to want ability and much more doth it tend to the disgrace of the Lord to quarrel with him Reason 2 Again it must needs be most odious for men to quarrel and find fault with God because God being most just his will is the highest and most perfect rule of all righteousnesse and the Lord performeth the act of his will most holily and most purely as Moses saith Deut. 32.4 Perfect is the work of the mighty God all his wayes and Judgments they are just and righteous God is righteous with him there is no unrighteousnesse and therefore it must needs be a great impudency for men to quarrel with the Lord. Vse 1 This being a truth confirmed by Scripture and averred by reason This first lets us see the danger they run into whatsoever they be that mislike the works and the will of God in disposing of them this way or that way they run upon the rock of Gods anger and vengeance and such persons do make themselves odious monstrous and abominable to God But you will say Is there any one so wicked to find fault with God in making of them this way or that way so wicked so shamelesse so impudent Yes there be many in the world what else do they but even find fault with God touching his will in making and framing of them to this or that fashion in that they take upon them to mend Gods work and to make themselves better then ever God did make them taking upon them to mend the work of God as they do that colour their hair and paint their faces and disguise themselves in antick disguised and new fangled attire they will make themselves peacock like in their top and top gallants that bring their hips up to their shoulders surely such persons they are monsters amongst men and such as are to be wondered at and as they are now so proud that they know not themselves they may justly fear that when the Lord cometh to Judgment the Lord will not know nor acknowledg them without speedy repentance but will say unto them Away hence who gave you this coloured hair this complexion on your painted cheeks this antick disguised body did I no you would mend my work and therefore away I 'le none of you begone into utter destruction depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not Matth. 7.22 Again in like sort is it not a common thing beloved with some to dislike the works of God upon themselves and to find fault with Gods disposing of them and a casting of them into this or that estate and condition of life as they being poor lame weak feeble and deformed in their bodies do not they sometimes utter these words Oh it were better for me that I had been made a rich Merchant a Noble man a strong man or a fair man and not as I am what is this but to flye in Gods face and to pick a quarrel with him that hath formed them this is for man a silly creature a worm lesse then a worm to turn against God and as a worm being trod upon doth turn again so doth man bring upon himself a curse and a woe pronounced in Esay 45.9 he that doth quarrel with his Creator doth even dash himself upon the rock of Gods heavy wrath and upon his furious vengeance and so runneth into a dangerous estate Again this being so learn we our duty to hold our selves contented in Vse 2 all estates and conditions of life it pleaseth the Lord to place us in learn we to submit our selves to the good will and pleasure of the Lord the Creator though it be a thing that goeth contrary to reason yet learn we to say with holy David 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here am I thy poor creature the work of thy hands thou art my Maker and Creator And to help us herein consider first of all that the chiefest thing that the Devil aymeth at when we lye under distresse is to make us flye in Gods face and to quarrel with God and to find fault with him Job 1.11 saith Satan unto God Do but touch him and he will flye in thy face Again secondly consider we that the will of God is the rule of all his actions and his goodnesse is the rule of his will and his will is ever holy and just and good and we being in the number of his children he is most merciful in disposing of our estate and our present estate though it be harsh and hard it is the best estate to us whether it be poverty or prosperity because God our Father seeth it so to be and he is most holy wise just and good and we are to give him the glory of his goodnesse justice wisdom and mercy in what estate soever we be Oh learn we then to rest contented in all estates and conditions of life and to submit our selves to the good will of God the Creator in disposing of us remembring we are his creatures he the Creator we are the formed he the former he is our Maker and it is our duty to be contented VERSE 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour IN this Verse our Apostle goeth on in his personal Answer to the Caviller and Carnal Reasoner and having in the verse foregoing brought a general comparison to prove the grossenesse and absurdity of the Reasoners argument now here in this 21. verse the Apostle subjoyneth a particular instance adding weight and force to his former similitude as if he had said Doubtlesse it is a most
evidence of the truth of God Answ for Christ saith John 3.36 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath everlasting life He hath one foot within the gates of Heaven alreadie For indeede the life grace and holiness in this life shal be made perfect in Heaven and the life of the godly here in this world and of the Saints in Heaven is all one in substance differing onely in degree theirs is perfect ours is imperfect and the Apostle saith in Romans 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus so that the faith and grace of Gods Children is permanent and lasteth for ever and this Doctrine of theirs is a meere Antithesis or contrarietie to God and his Word 1 Peter 1.5 Gods Children are kept by the power of grace unto salvation doubtlesse Gods Children shal continue unto the end Gods grace shal never depart from them for he hath made many gracious promises to that end as namely these that God will put his fear in their hearts that shall never depart from me Jeremie 32.40 And that he having begun the work of grace wil perfect it in Philippians 1.6 And that Christ Jesus is not onely the Authour but the Consummator and finisher of our Faith Hebrewes 12.2 Let then the enemies of Gods Grace Papists or Anabaptists belch out their blasphemies they shal never be able to drive a Childe of God from this comfort that commeth by his effectual calling that he shall certainly be saved And I might further adde this as a third use Vse that seeing Gods effectual Calling is so sure and certain an evidence of our Election and salvation therefore men ought to make special account and reckoning of the preaching of the Word because it is the ordinarie means of Calling and of conveying grace and faith into the hearts and souls of men Romans 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and therefore miserable is the case of all Recusants Papists Anabaptists and Familists that refuse to hear the Word and also all prophane Atheists that despise the preaching of the Word and also Carnal Gospellers that are wearie of the preaching of the Word it is a burthen unto them but to passe by this Again further observe we in the next place that the Apostle he rangeth the calling of God into these two sorts not onely Jewes who came of Jacob which was no strange thing because they had many excellent priviledges but also even us that are Gentiles of another Nation and People heathen Pagans such as were without the Covenant without God aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel dogs such as were not worthie of the name of a reasonable creature hence then the Conclusion is this That Gods effectual Calling of men out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace respects not mens persons it respecteth not any station Doctrine condition or qualification the excellency of the Jew is no help nor the basenes of the Gentiles no hindrance to Gods effectual calling the Lord calleth some high some low some rich some poore some masters some servants yea it is worth our marking that the Lord called some few among the Gentiles before Christs incarnation as Jethro Moses his father in Law Job Ruth and others that might be named in 1 Cor. 7.21 Art thou called being a servant thereby implying that the servants may be called aswell as care not for it and in 1 Tim. 6.2 The Apostle speaketh of believing masters so that some of all sorts and conditions are called and the ground is this Reason Because Gods grace is most free effectual calling respecteth not the qualification of men for if it were tied to the qualification of men then in all likelihood those persons should be called of God sooner then others who are of best disposition of best wit and understanding and best towardnesse those that are most civil in their carriage and most unblameable in their lives but it is not so for the Apostle saith the contrarie in 1 Cor. 1.26 God hath refused the rich and wise of the world and revealed his secrets to babes not to noble and great and learned men yea we finde in the dayes of Christ that Publicans and harlots were made to know the good things of God when the Philosophers among the Gentiles and the Scribes and Pharisees and Doctors among the Jews were passed by and passed over so that God respecteth not persons nor stations nor qualifications Vse 1 This being a truth surely then that cannot be true which some do hold and affirm that Gods grace and the effectual calling of men it is given unto men whom God seeth fit to receive it and able to use it If this were so then there should be a natural correspondencie in men answerable to the supernatural Will of God then there should be a power in nature to use the grace of God which indeed is an old rotten Pelagian heresie long agone rooted out of the Church of God Vse 2 This may yield a ground of sweet and of excellent comfort to such persons that are of poore and mean condition in the world of mean gifts of mean parts in respect of understanding here is a matter of sweet comfort for them for they are commonly despised of the men of the world that are of proud dispositions and indeed such is the cursed corruption of our hearts that men doe commonly exempt themselves from the hearing of the Word because they are silly and simple poore people alas say they it is for learned men for great men for scholars to heare Sermons we are poore unlettered men and women and so hereby they wrong themselves but marke what the Holy Ghost saith of Wisedome in Proverbs 9.9 10. VVho so is simple let him come to me and those that are destitute of wisedome and understanding let him eate of my bread and drinke of my wine And the Lord Jesus rejoyced in his Spirit when he considered that his Heavenly Father had hid the things that concerned his Kingdome from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes So then for to conclude art thou one that art a mean person and of simple understanding be not discouraged for Gods effectual calling is not revealed to rich and great men onely but whosoever attendeth to the voyce and call of God and to the Ministerie and preaching of his Word among the Gentiles As Solomon speaketh Proverbs 8.33 That doth beat the thresholds and trample in Gods House and be diligent and frequent in hearing the will of God assuredly shall in Gods due time be wrought upon and effectually called and be made a Member of the mystical Body of Christ Jesus Therefore doe not thou absent thy selfe from Gods Word but come cheerfully to it and hear upon all occasions VERSE 25 26. As he saith in Hoseah I will call them my People which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved c. IN these two Verses our Apostle proveth the calling of the
tyed to one place more then to another as if one place were more holier then another Indeed in the time of the Old Testament as you may see in Deut. 16. there was a place whither the Tribes of Israel should resort three times in a yeare and come to worship God publickly in that place and that was the Cittie of Jerusalem Matthew 4.5 Called Sancta Vrbs the Holy Cittie and the whole Land must goe to worstip there But now in the time of the New Testament all places are alike Holy and men may offer up a pure Offering to the Name of God in any place so saith the Apostle in 1 Timothy 2.8 I will that men lift up pure hands unto God in every place even pray in every place And this was foretold by the Prophet in Zephaniah 2.11 That in every place men should worship the Lord of Hosts yea in all the Iles of the Heathen and all the Nations of the world not to be tied to Hierusalem So then upon this ground appeareth the folly and absurditie of Popish Pilgrimages and in particular their going a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jude aand Cittie of Hierusalem why Holinesse is not inherent in the ground or in the walls of Hierusalem no Hierusalem was a Holy Cittie in regard of the pure and true worship of God but now that failing and taken away and given to other people that is no more holy then other places of the world therefore it is absurd for them to go to the Holy Cittie in Pilgrimage but to leave them There be many amongst our selves that are justly to be blamed who either out of their grosse ignorance or blind and Popish superstition ascribed Holinesse more to one place then to another and tie the presence of God more to one certaine place then to another as in the Church the places of publicke Assemblies Oh they think those places are farre holier then other places and thereupon if they have occasion to goe through Pauls or other Churches when there is no publick service yet they drop down upon their knees to a piller and there poure out their prayers this is grosse and blind superstition for distinction of place is now gone a man may as well poure out his prayers with Divine thoughts and pure hands as well in the market and in the field as in the Church I confesse the places of publick meeting the Churches are more convenient for comlinesse and Orders sake for publick worship but they poure out their private prayers in a publick place out of the time of publicke worship Holynesse is not in the place but in the company and the worship there performed but the place is not holy in the time nor out of the time of exercise no more then any other place Again we see further the Lord here setteth out the calling of the Gentiles to the estate of grace by the excellent dignitie and worthinesse of it What are they being called why in all places and in all Nations the Children of the Living God an excellent dignitie so then the point from hence is this Doctrine That it is a matter of great honour and of excellent dignitie for men to be called to the estate of Gods Children such as are indeed wrought upon and brought out of the estate of Nature into the estate of Grace and made the Children of God they are wonderfully dignified to this purpose speaketh the Evangelist John 1.12 As many as received him meaning Christ to them he gave power or rather priviledge and prerogative to be the sonnes of God not power signifying power and strength of free will to be made Gods Children as the Rhemists note upon that place but the priviledge honour and prerogative that they have being the Children of God there is no service to the service of the King of Heaven it was as much as the Prodigal desired Luke 15.19 Father I am not worthie to be called thy sonne make me one of thy hired servants Yea God hath no need of the service of men he hath thousands yea ten thousand thousands of holy and glorious Angels to wait and attend upon him and to be at his beck Daniel 7.10 But for men to be made not onely the servants of God but to be made his Children by Adoption and Grace it is an advancement exceeding great and wonderful Moses was a faithful servant in the House of God yet nothing comparable unto Christ who ruled in the House of God as his sonne Hebrewes 3.5 6. What was Abrahams eldest servant Eleazar to his youngest sonne nothing And what was Joab the servant of David though a man of great place and authoritie in comparison of Solomon the sonne of David No Solomon reckoneth of it as a special honour Proverbs 1.1 Solomon the sonne of David so that it is a greater honour to be the Sonne of God and it must needs bee so Because men who are made the Children of God what are they of themselves Reason 1 Base and miserable wretches and sinneful yea children of wrath children of the Devil and God who maketh them his Children what is he Surely he is a most Holy Glorious and highest Majestie and according to the Dignitie of the Person of the Father so is the honour of the Childe the Childe of a Prince or Noble man is more respected then the Childe of a baser man and that worthily and hence David being moved by his fellow servants to become the sonne in Law of Saul 1 Samuel 18.23 saith Seemeth it a small thing unto you for me to be sonne in law to a King Did holy David a man worthily deserving at the hands of Saul think it a great matter to enter into aliance with Saul and shall not we think it a wonderful honor for us that are base and vile men to be made the sons and daughters to the great God of Heaven and Earth Men being made the Children of God they are the heirs of God every Reason 2 Childe of God is an heire so saith the Apostle in Romans 8.17 If we Children we are also Heires yea they are made joynt-heires and co-heires with the Sonne of God and they shall one day share with him in Life and Glory Therefore it followeth undeniably that it is a great honour and dignitie to be a Childe of God yea a greater honour and dignitie then if they were advanced to be the heires of the greatest Monarch in the world We see then upon this ground the vain and blinde conceit of the world Vse 1 and worldlings touching the happie and blessed estate of Gods Children for they are so farre from thinking it is an advancement that they account it the basest thing in the world to be the Children of God yea they account them to be most vile and contemptible persons in the world they judge of them by their outward appearance they see not that grace that lieth hid either under that excellent grace of humilitie or else
Testimony of our Reverend Brethren of the Province of London to the truth of Jesus Christ and to our solemn League and Covenant as also against the Errours Heresies and Blasphemies of these Times and the Toleration of them subscribed by 59 of the Ministers of Cheshire Some Observations and Annotations upon the Apologetical Narration humbly submitted to the Honourable Houses of Parliament by the most Reverend and Learned Divines of the Assembly and all the Protestant Churches here in this Iland and abroad by Adam Stuart D. D. Wholesome Severity reconciled with Christian Liberty or a true resolution of a present Controversie concerning Liberty of Conscience by George Gillespy Consolations for troubled Consciences of Repentant sinners by M. William Perkins The English Presbyterian and Independant reconciled setting forth the small ground of difference betwixt them both therein clearing the misunderstanding between the English and the Scots as which Nation hath broken the Covenant each with other setting forth withal on which side the offensive War betwixt us and them on which side the defensive is and how it came to be waged by John Stafford Esq The Deafe man cured wherein three things are handled First Christian Charity 2. Humane misery 3. The Divine Power and Mercy of Christ upon Mar. 7.32 33 34 35. by Tobias Higgins The strife of Brethren and a Treaty for Peace in two Sermons on Gen. 13.8 and Ier. 9 2. by M. Iohn Fathers Divine Meditations and Contemplations upon several heads of Divinity by G. Raleigh The Signs or an Essay concerning the assurance of Gods love and mans salvation gathered out of the holy Scriptures by Nicholas Byfield The spiritual Touchstone or the signs of a godly man drawn in so plain and profitable a manner as all sorts of Christians may try themselves thereby together with directions how the weak Christian by the use of these signs may establish his assurance The Sum of the Principles or a Collection of those Priciples of Religion which are set down in the little Treatise called the Principles or Pattern of wholesome words where they are at large explained proved and applyed Luthers fore-runners or a Cloud of Witnesses deposing for the Protestant faith gathered together in the History of Waldensis who for divers hundred years before Luther successively opposed Popery professed the truth of the Gospel and sealed it with their blood being most grievously persecuted and many thousands of them Martyred by the man of sin and his superstitious adherents and cruel instruments translated out of French by Sampson Lennard Canaans Calamity Jerusalems Misery and Englands Mirror The Doctrine of the Sabbath wherein these five things are contained First that the fourth Commandment is given to the Servant and not to the Master onely Secondly that the fourth Commandment is Moral Thirdly that our own light works as well as gainful and toylsome are forbidden on the Sabbath Fourthly that the Lords day is of Divine Institution Fiftly that the Sabbath was instituted from the beginning by Richard Byfield The light of Faith and way of holinesse shewing what to believe and for what to strive together earnestly contend and suffer for in this contending Age and how to live in all estates conditions and degrees of relation according to this faith Altare Christianum or the dead Vicars Plea wherein the Vicar of Gr. being dead yet speaketh and pleadeth out of Antiquity against him that hath broken down his Altar by John Pocklington Dr. D. Ashes General Tables to the Common Lawes of England being a compleat and large Dictionary thereof c. The Doctrine and Conversation of John Baptist delivered in a Sermon at a Visitation on John 5.35 by Henry Denne A Sermon in Commemoration of the Lady Danvers late wife of Sir John Danvers by Iohn Donne Dean of Pauls together with her son G. Herberts Commemorations of her A Meditation meet for a Christian every day or an Epitome of Promises for the Saints support in times of trouble The Hunting of the Fox an excellent discourse against flattery by Henry Hartflete Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Arch-Bishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in the Convocation holden at Dublin 1615. Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical treated upon by the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and York c. Hidden works of darkneknesse brought to Publick light or a necessary Introduction to the History of the Arch-Bishop of Canterburies tryal by William Prinne Esq The Book of Martyrs by Mr. Iohn Fox lately Printed in three Volumes in large Folio where unto is annexed certain additions of the like Persecutions which have happened in these latter times Psalterium Davidis Latino-Saxonicum vetus A Iohanne Spelmanno D. Hen. fil editum H. vetustissimo exemplari Ms. Bibliotheca ipsius Henrici cum tribus aliis non multo minus Vetustis Collatum 40. A Register or a General Almanack for every year containing an introduction to the knowledge of yearly Almanacks by J. Pont. M. Abbots holinesse of Christian Churches or a Sermon prepaced to be Preached at the Consecration of the Chappel of Sir Iohn Baker of Sussingherst at Cranbrook in Kent Baronet upon 1 Cor. 11.2 2. A taste of the truth as it is in Jesus consisting of ten Questions and Answers and a brief exposition upon the same together with ten General Directions how private Christians and Governers of Families are to serve God in all the parts of Gods worship The Reformed Spaniards or motives against Popery in French 12 o. Sir Ben. Rudyards speech for augmentations of Ministers Livings The Cure of hurtful Cares and Fears by Thomas Pierson on Phil. 4.6 with Mr. Christopher Harveys Conditions of Christianity or the terms on which Christ will be followed on Luk. 9.23 Samuel Hartlibs Legacy or an enlargement of the discourse of Husbandry used in Brabant and Flanders wherein are bequeathed to the Common-wealth of England more Outlandish and Domestick Experiences and Secrets in reference to universal Husbandry Antidotum Lincolniense or an answer to a book entituled the holy Table Name and Thing c. said to be written long ago by a Minister in Lincolnshire by Peter Heylin Mr. Harveys Synagogue in imitation of M. Herberts Temple An Explanation of those Principles of Christian Religion expressed and implyed in the Catechism of our Church of England set down in the book of Common Prayer useful for House-holders that desire heaven in earnest and are willing to discharge their duty in examination of their charge by William Crompton A Brief Treatise of Testaments and Wills very profitable to be understoood of all the subjects of this Realm of England desirious to know whether whereof and how they may make their testaments and by what means the same may be effected or hindred and no lesse acceptable as well for the rarenesse of the work as for the easiness of the stile and method Collected by Henry Swinburne sometimes Judge of the Prerogative Court at York The Bible of the last Translation in the Largest Volume that ever was Printed appointed to be used in all Churches The Bible in Folio of the Largest and fairest Roman Letter now Printed with the Concordance added to it Vindiciae Gratiae Potestatis ac providentiae Dei hoc est Libelli Perkinsiarii de predestinationis modo ordine institutum à Iacobo Arminio Responsio Scholastica III. Libris absoluta Authore Guilielmo Twisso D. D. The sum and substance of the Conference which it pleased his Majesty to have with the Lords Bishops and others of his Clergy concerning Religion contracted by William Barlow D. D. Cononel Robert Monro his Epeditions and Observations being an Abridgement of Exercise for the younger Souldier his better instruction ending with the Soudiers Meditations going in service Cyprianus de bono patientiae De Vnitate Ecclaesiae Collatus cum M. S. Oxoniensibus A Treatise of Love written by M. Iohn Rogers late of Dedham in Essex Run from Rome or a Treatise shewing the necessity of separating from the Church of Rome disputed in these terms every man is bound upon pain of Damnation to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome by Anthony Wotton B. D. Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum ex Authoritate primum Regis Henrici 8. inchoata deinde per Regem Edvardum 6. provecta adductaque in hunc modum atque nunc ad pleniorem ipsarum Reformationem in Lucem edita Danica Literatura antiquissima Vulgò Gotica Dicta Luci Reddita operà Olai Wormii D. Medicinae in Academia Hasniensi profess P. cui accessit de priscâ Danorum Poesi dissertatio FINIS